Terms and conditions

1. Who we are

Arkan ("the platform", "we", "us") is an online marketplace operated by a company registered in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The shops on the platform are independent businesses ("merchants", "shops") that sell their own products under their own names.

The platform provides the storefront, the checkout, the payment processing and the customer account. The merchant is the seller of record for every product it lists.

2. Your account

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or place an order. If you are younger, a parent or guardian must order on your behalf.

Keep your account details accurate and your sign-in details private. You are responsible for activity under your account until you tell us it has been compromised. One person, one account.

3. Orders and the contract of sale

Every order is placed with one shop. When you place an order, you make an offer to buy from that shop at the listed price. The contract of sale is formed between you and the shop when the shop accepts the order, and the order confirmation you receive records that.

A shop may decline or cancel an order before dispatch if the product is unavailable, if the listing contained a clear error, or if the order cannot be verified. If that happens, anything you have paid is refunded in full to the payment method you used.

You may cancel an order yourself from your order page at any time before the shop marks it as dispatched. After dispatch, the return and refund policy applies.

4. Prices, tax and payment

Prices are shown in the currency of the country you are shopping in and include value added tax where it applies in that country. Delivery charges, if any, are shown before you confirm the order.

Despite our care, a listing may occasionally show an incorrect price. If the correct price is higher than the one shown, the shop will contact you before dispatch so you can confirm or cancel; if you do not confirm, the order is cancelled and refunded.

Payment is taken at checkout through a licensed payment service provider. The platform does not store your card number. Your payment is split by the provider so that the shop receives its share directly; the platform does not hold the shop's funds.

5. Delivery

The shop or its chosen carrier delivers your order. Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates given by the shop, not guarantees. Please make sure your delivery address and phone number are correct: a delivery that fails because of an incorrect address may be charged again or cancelled.

Risk in the goods passes to you when they are delivered to the address you gave.

6. Returns and refunds

Your rights to return a product, and how refunds are made, are set out in the return and refund policy, which forms part of these terms. Nothing in these terms reduces the consumer rights you have under the law of the country you order from.

7. The platform's role and responsibility

The platform is an intermediary. The shop is responsible for the accuracy of its listings, the quality, safety and legality of its products, and the fulfilment of your order. The platform is responsible for the operation of the website, the checkout and your account.

We do our best to keep the platform available and accurate, but we do not promise it will be error free or uninterrupted. To the extent the law allows, the platform's liability to you in connection with any order is limited to the amount you paid for that order. Nothing here excludes liability that cannot be excluded by law, including for death, personal injury or fraud.

8. Acceptable use

You agree not to use the platform for anything unlawful, to place orders you do not intend to honour, to interfere with the platform's operation, to copy its content or data by automated means, or to harass a merchant or another user. We may suspend or close an account that breaks these rules, and cancel orders connected with it.

9. Content and intellectual property

The platform's design, software, text and branding belong to the platform. A shop's product images, descriptions and name belong to that shop. You may not reproduce either without permission, except to view and use the platform as intended.

If you post a review or other content, you keep ownership of it and give the platform and the shop a licence to display it in connection with the platform. Do not post anything unlawful, misleading or offensive; we may remove content that is.

10. Privacy

How we handle your personal data is described in the privacy policy, which forms part of these terms.

11. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The date at the top shows the current version. Orders are governed by the terms in force when they were placed. Continuing to use the platform after a change means you accept the new terms.

12. Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the courts of the Kingdom of Bahrain have jurisdiction, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer protection rules of the country you order from, which continue to apply to you.

If something goes wrong, please contact the shop first through your order page, and then our support if it is not resolved. Most issues are settled that way, and we will help.

13. Contact and company details

The platform is operated by the company named on the commercial registration held by its owner in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Our support page lists how to reach us.